Westside Church of Christ

“The righteous will live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4).” It is one of the best known concepts in the word of God, being cited three time in the New Testament. It is clear that faith is a central component in the lives of the Lord’s people. The contrast that Habakkuk draws is between the person who is proud and the one who is guided daily and forever by faith. The difference is profound.

The proud trust in themselves. They boast of their achievements for their personal glory. That attitude can bleed into their spiritual lives and rob them of the true rewards of even good, noble efforts. Jesus warned of this in reference to benevolent acts, prayer and fasting in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:1-16). It is possible to do the right things with the wrong motives. Pride can even turn the Lord against us (James 4:6). He is watching and sees through the acts to the heart that motivated them (Hebrews 4:12-13).

Faith focuses on the invisible (Hebrews 11:1). It challenges us to put whole-hearted trust in He Whom we cannot see, but that is its essence. We see the immense impact that a deep conviction has from the extensive evidence of history (Hebrews 11:2-40). People left their comfortable environment, built an ark, knocked down walls and suffered terribly because they had profound faith. Their examples are inspiring and stand in contrast to those whose eyes are

riveted on this world.

Christian faith focuses specifically on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Our faith is fraudulent if those claims are not true, the sheer number of observers leave no doubt that it happened (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Skeptics scoff. Atheists deny. Agnostics demand evidence. If more than five hundred witnesses testifying to the truth of those facts are inadequate to convince them, it is certain that a few more won’t. One final witness certainly will; a face-to- face meeting with the One who rose from the dead will. They will believe then but too late. Abraham demonstrated a life of remarkable faith. The Lord instructed Him to leave all that was familiar to journey to an unidentified destination. Promises were attached. He believed God and went. The plan did not unfold overnight. It came not in a week, month or even a year.

Twenty-five years passed before the first hint of fulfillment appeared. Two old folks with a newborn baby is not exactly what we might expect.

Years passed, and God demanded the sacrifice of that child. How could Abraham sacrifice the promised child of his old age? He thought about and believed that the Lord could raise the dead (Hebrews 11:19). So, he headed off in obedience (Genesis 22). His trust was in the God of the impossible. He lived by faith, was deemed to be righteous and, just for good measure was called a friend of God (James 2:21-23). Now, it’s our turn to follow his example.